Where does “oligocene” come from?

oligocene (Italian) comes from Italian oligo-, from Ancient Greek ὀλίγος, from New Latin chaeta, from Ancient Greek χαίτη, from Proto-Indo-European gʰeh₂it- — curly hair.

oligocene (Italian): Oligocene

Definitions

  1. Oligocene

Ancestry of “oligocene”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianoligo-oligo
2Ancient GreekὀλίγοςOf small amount: few, little; Of small size:...
3New Latinchaeta—
4Ancient Greekχαίτηloose, flowing hair; used especially of back...
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʰeh₂it-curly hair
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰeh₂it- →Every word from Ancient Greek χαίτη →Every word from New Latin chaeta →